Mary Knudson

Biography

Katie Scaffidi Knudson was born and raised in Bakersfield and is a professional opera singer and a budding Sicilian music preservationist who sings jazz and musical theater. She was invited to sing at Fête de la Musique in Avignon, France as a soloist in 2016 and as a soloist in Perugia, Italia while studying in Italy in 2019. She graduated with her MM from CSU Northridge where she sang the lead for L’impressario in Angustie (Fiordespina), Orphèe aux Enfers (Eurydice cover, and performed as Venus), as well as Donna Elvira in Gazzaniga’s Don Giovanni. She also was a soloist for Handel’s Messiah and sang “Rejoice” with the CSUN Symphony. Since then, she has been a guest artist with CSUB Opera Scenes in 2021 as Mimì in La Boheme, as well as Frasquita for Varna International Music Academy’s 2022 production of Carmen. She is currently studying with Dr. Darlene Wiley, Professor Emeritus at UT Austin, and Manuel Arellano at the LA Opera.